Esther was born on August 21, 1918, in New Sharon, Iowa to Lee and Mary 'Mamie' Williams McNeal. She was raised in New Sharon and graduated from New Sharon High School. After high school she received her normal training and taught at the Star Country School. On December 28, 1937, she was married to Leslie Hildebrand in Lancaster, Missouri. The couple farmed near New Sharon before moving to a farm near Barnes City. In 1960, the family moved to Montezuma and operated the Coast to Coast Store. Esther and Leslie moved to Grinnell in 1970 and she worked at the Burling Library on the Grinnell College campus. Esther enjoyed reading, gardening, traveling and dancing. She was a member of the United Methodist Church, the Sunset Club, the Star Club and the Splash and Dash Club. Survivors include her three daughters, Cheryl (Larry) Pitcher of Colorado Springs, CO, Vicki (Dan) Bunnell of Grinnell; and Lezlie (Bob Melendy) Hildebrand of Tampa, FL; four grandchildren, Michelle Trulaske, Natasha Bunnell, and Laine and Danielle Melendy; five great grandchildren, William, Marin and Jordan Pitchford and Steven and Kay Trulaske; one sister, Colleen Ferguson of New Sharon, IA; and three brothers, Don McNeal of Santa Cruz, CA, George McNeal of Los Gatos, CA and Jim McNeal of Show Low, AZ. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; one grandson, Marc Bunnell; and one brother, Virgil McNeal; and three sisters, Alvetta Dodd, Luverna Rice and Nellie Stanford. Memorials may be directed to the American Alzheimer's Association or to the Mayflower Community.